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Berlin, 1963. An early morning spy swap, not at the familiar setting for such exchanges, nor at Checkpoint Charlie, where international visitors cross into the East, but at a more discreet border crossing, usually reserved for East German VIPs. The Communists are trading two American students caught helping people to escape over the wall and an aging MI6 operative. On the other side of the trade: Martin Keller, a physicist who once made headlines, but who then disappeared into the English prison system. Keller's most critical possession: his American passport. Keller's most ardent desire: to see his ex-wife Sabine and their young son.
The exchange is made with the formality characteristic of these swaps. But Martin has other questions: Who asked for him? Who negotiated the deal? The KGB? He knows that nothing happens by chance. They want him for something. Not physics—his expertise is out of date. Something else, which he cannot learn until he arrives in East Berlin, when suddenly the game is afoot.
Intriguing and atmospheric, with action rising to a dangerous climax, The Berlin Exchange "expertly describes what happens when a disillusioned former agent tries to come in from the cold" (The New York Times Book Review), confirming Kanon as "the greatest writer ever of historical espionage fiction" (Spybrary).
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
February 22, 2022 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781797129884
- File size: 303741 KB
- Duration: 10:32:47
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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November 29, 2021
American physicist Martin Keller, the protagonist of this tense spy thriller from Kanon (The Accomplice), was one of the scientists entrusted with the secrets of the Manhattan Project, but he later betrayed that trust by sharing top-secret plans and drawings he memorized with East German intelligence. Keller continued his spying at Harwell, England’s analogue to Los Alamos, until he was found out and imprisoned in 1953. Out of the blue in 1963, Keller’s freed in Berlin as part of a British–East German spy swap, but a gunman almost takes him out at Checkpoint Charlie. Once safe in East Berlin, he reunites with his ex-wife, Sabine, and their 11-year-old son, but he’s dismayed to learn Sabine has a terminal illness. Meanwhile, Keller wonders why he was set free and why an assassin tried to kill him. Kanon balances a convincing portrayal of spycraft with fleshed-out characters, while vividly depicting the impact of secret lives on the loved ones of those engaged in espionage. Fans of Len Deighton’s Bernard Samson series will be pleased. Agent: Binky Urban, ICM Partners. -
Set against the backdrop of 1960s Berlin at the height of the Cold War, this audiobook features Martin Keller as he takes part in a spy swap. As a result, he is moved from an English prison to Berlin, where he hopes to be reunited with his ex-wife and son. Narrator Jonathan Davis helps build the tension, creating a dark atmosphere of suspicion and suspense. His strong characterizations help listeners keep track of the story's principals. Davis's authentic-sounding pronunciation of names and places also helps to set the scenes and build the atmosphere, while his excellent pacing amps up the tension. K.J.P. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine -
June 1, 2022
Questions, questions, and more questions about motives, feelings, and so much more drive this espionage thriller by Kanon (Leaving Berlin). The novel, set in 1963, is far more reminiscent of the world of John le Carr� than of James Bond, as morality and right and wrong are viewed in shades of gray--much to the joy of listeners. American physicist and ex-spy Martin Keller is released from a British prison and exchanged to East Germany in a spy swap where he is welcomed as an honored guest and hopes to reconnect with his ex-wife and son before he starts his life anew. But things are not always as they seem. His scientific knowledge is out of date, so who pulled the stings to get him released and for what purpose? Kanon expertly draws the clues, and while doing so he wonderfully focuses on the small descriptive features of life in 1963 Berlin. The drabness is almost palpable. The narration of Davis is masterful in ratcheting up the tension and his magnificent accents add an exciting element. VERDICT A well-executed production of another work by go-to author Kanon, performed by a narrator to note.--Scott DiMarco
Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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